Pats urge N. Providence students to get out and play

Tuesday

Dec 6, 2011 at 12:01 AM

NORTH PROVIDENCE — Donald Thomas may be a 6-foot-4, 310-pound offensive lineman for the New England Patriots now. But he says that as a kid growing up in New Haven, Conn., he played baseball, basketball and soccer.

By CAROLYN THORNTON | | Journal Sports Writer

NORTH PROVIDENCE - Donald Thomas may be a 6-foot-4, 310-poundoffensive lineman for the New England Patriots now. But he saysthat as a kid growing up in New Haven, Conn., he played baseball,basketball and soccer.

Fellow Patriot Rob Gronkowski also played a variety of sportsand particularly loved playing kickball and Frisbee when he was inelementary school.

"Just go out there and have fun," said Slater. "Play as manysports as you can, for as long as you can."

That was the message the four Patriots delivered to the studentsat Stephen Olney Elementary School in North Providence on Tuesdayas part of the NFL's PLAY 60 campaign, which encourages youngstersto get at least 60 minutes of exercise a day.

That wasn't the only thing the players delivered. They alsopresented the school with a $10,000 grant that it won through theNFL PLAY 60 Super School sweepstakes, which awarded money to 32schools to be used for health and wellness programming orequipment.

"You only get one body, so you have to take care of that body bybeing busy and staying active," Slater told the students.

Receiving the grant money "is absolutely huge," said StephenOlney PTA president Donna Alqassar, who spearheaded a "Back toFootball Friday" event at the school in the fall that led toStephen Olney being selected. The PTO hosted a "football trainingcamp for the mind, body and spirit" in which the teachers put thestudents through "classroom football drills" that tied into theschool curriculum.

"Health and wellness is really a key area that we are trying totarget," Alqassar said. "We're not only going to utilize it tofocus on the kids, but we're going to incorporate the familiesbecause you know we can do as much as we can here, but if it's notdone at home, as well, it's a broken process.

"So we're going to have some family nights, so we can get peopleoff the couch moving and teaching them healthy habits. We're goingto have some cooking demonstrations. We're going to have a walkingprogram and a bunch of other stuff."

In addition to the grant, Hall of Fame football player JackieSlater, Matthew Slater's father, announced that Stephen Olney PTApresident Donna Alqassar had been selected as a P&G SuperParent for her efforts in encouraging the children at the school toget active and healthy. She received a medal and a footballautographed by the Patriots, as well as a check for $1,000 thatwill be donated in Alqassar's name to the school's athleticdepartment.

In this time of stretched budgets, the grant money will be putto very good use, said Jerry Rubino, the school's physicaleducation teacher.

Once the schoolwide assembly was over, 50 students who had beenselected in a random drawing took part in an "Ultimate PhysicalEducation Class" with the Patriots. They went through a series ofstations that included footballs, jump ropes, Hula Hoops and smallfree weights. The equipment used was then donated to theschool.

"We're not trying to produce great athletes. We're trying toproduce active lifestyles," said Jerry Rubino, the school'sphysical education teacher. "So we're trying to promote things thatkids can do when they're 30, 40, all the way up to 80, just topromote fitness and being an active adult."

Hearing that message from players like Slater, Gronkowski,Thomas and Hoyer can be effective.

"They're role models for the kids," Rubino said. "If they seethat they're doing it, then hopefully they'll emulate that and doit themselves. Anything to get the kids away from the video games,away from the computer and outside and active. That's what it's allabout."

Five students had a chance to ask Slater questions about hishealth and fitness.

"How many hours of sleep do you need to be at your best?"fourth-grader Kaitlyn Macaruso asked.

Eight or nine hours of sleep, Slater said, "for me to feel goodand not be grumpy."

To Nathan Lussier's question about what he eats after a workout,Slater told him lots of protein, such as chicken and beans, "tobuild my muscles back up."

Robert Rebello and Amber Ruggiero asked about the differenttypes of food and vitamins that he eats. Fruits and vegetables wereat the top of the list. Slater admitted that he has "a little bitof a sweet tooth," so he allows himself "just a little bit" ofsweets, but "not a lot."

"I don't know about you," Stephen Olney principal Arthur Corsinitold his students, "but this is a day I'll never forget."